Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote domestic holidays within the UK.

His Majesty’s Government recognises the importance of tourism and the value, as well as enjoyment, brought by the promotion of domestic holidays. As set out in the Tourism Recovery Plan, the Government is committed to recovering the pre-pandemic volume and expenditure of domestic visitors, and to ensuring that the benefits of tourism are spread to every part of the UK.

Tourism is a devolved matter: VisitEngland, VisitWales and VisitScotland therefore have responsibility for supporting the domestic visitor economy in their respective parts of the country. VisitBritain promotes the United Kingdom as a whole, and the Government works alongside it to promote the UK as a tourist destination, both domestically and internationally.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport funds the British Tourism Association, which comprises VisitEngland and VisitBritain, by around £27 million per annum, of which VisitEngland receives c. £7 million. VisitEngland helps promote the UK as a tourist destination domestically through marketing campaigns such as its £5 million, UK-wide ‘Escape the Everyday’ campaign, which ran in 2022. This highlighted the quality destinations, visitor attractions, and experiences on offer across the UK’s cities, countryside, and coast to boost domestic tourism.

VisitEngland promotes year-round tourism experiences, encouraging a regional and seasonal variety highlighting lesser-visited areas. The Government has supported tourism through a variety of nationwide events in recent months such as the Commonwealth Games, and will continue with events across the UK in 2023 such as the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Eurovision, and is planning for Bradford’s year as City of Culture in 2025.